A Change In Elements
by JennaJoy
Summary: Caroline Forbes quickly wonders what's wrong when she has a set of recurring dreams of her frenemy, Klaus Mikaelson without his extraordinary Hybrid powers. Is she seeing into the future? Will she be the only one able to save him? She'll need to decide where she stands with the dangerous man that has challenged her aimlessly since she first met him. Tell me your thoughts guys:)
1. Chapter 1

"Klaus. Klaus!" Caroline's moan turned to a shrill shriek. She had felt his hands on her hips when she moaned his name out, but when she turned around she could see how pale his face was. His eyes weren't sparkling with mischief, but more of a deathly paleness that breathed nothing good. She had screamed his name out when he had dropped to his knees. Something was wrong. She dropped to her knees in front of him. Her hands were on his shoulders. "What's wrong? Klaus, what's wrong?" She began to panic.

"Caroline…" His breath was leaving his body too quickly. He searched her eyes without meaning. He didn't know what was going on with himself. He was immortal; nothing could happen to him. Right?

Caroline could feel all of his weight leaning to one side. Slowly she laid him down on his side while searching his front and back for any wounds. An arrow stuck out from his back and she pulled it out with all of her might. "You're going to be fine. You just need to heal." She breathed with a sigh of relief.

Klaus looked more deeply into her eyes. "Not this time, love, not this time." He could feel the life that he had once felt completely draining from him.

Caroline could now notice the pool of blood forming around Klaus' side. This wasn't normal. This wasn't what she was used to seeing. "Klaus?" She questioned and frantically looked at him and waited for a response.

"Something's different, love. I'm not healing; I'm not immortal." The thought took him by surprise. He began to panic. His thoughts were running ramped. _I'm not immortal? It's not possible!_

"What do you mean? Klaus what are you saying?" Tears formed in her eyes. What was he saying? It couldn't be possible. She couldn't lose him; not now, not ever.

"Caroline…" He gasped for air. "I'm dying."

Caroline jerked awake from her deep sleep. Her face was wet and covered in tears. Her body was shiny in the moonlight with sweat. Her breathing was rapid and inconsistent.

"Caroline, are you alright?" Tyler Lockwood woke up next to her. He put his arm around her and tried to calm her down. "It was just a dream, Care. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a dream."

Caroline slowly let him pull her down next to him. She didn't say a word, but let him hold her. Her eyes stayed open, wide and scared. She wondered why the nightmare had felt so real. Had something happened to Klaus Mikaelson?


	2. Chapter 2

**I realized that I really didn't post much for the beginning of this story so decided to add some more here quickly. I was struggling with deciding if there was to much detail and not enough conversation going on here, but wasn't sure and just decided to leave it how it was. Please tell me what you think. Do you see potential here with this story? It'll get more interesting, I promise!**

Caroline lacked sleep that night. She had tossed and turned all night, but the worry that she now had for Klaus illuminated inside her. She didn't like the man's tactics and had seen how dangerous and destructible he could be. There were reasons other than Tyler why she should keep her distance from the violence-ridden hybrid.

Tyler had been her boyfriend for a few months now and, although the journey had been rough, stuck with her when they needed each other. They kept each other strong, but lately Tyler had been changing. He didn't make her feel safe any more. He wasn't innocent and had the blood of many already on his hands – as did she. Klaus was the reason for turning Tyler into a hybrid. Caroline had seen the pain that Tyler had went through before with just being a werewolf, but now the new hybrid power was getting to his head. He greatly detested Klaus and kept her away from that man as much as possible.

Quietly Caroline pulled herself out of bed and away from the junior hybrid. She was worried about Klaus in spite of his changing Tyler for the worst. She had feelings for the big, bad hybrid and, although hated the man's guts, appreciated his honesty. Honesty was not something that she could rely on with Tyler anymore.

With quick, quiet precision, Caroline opened her closet and pulled out a flowy, oversized tank top. She picked up her stylishly tattered, white capris and headed to the bathroom to change. The last thing that she wanted was to wake Tyler up and have him questioning her motives. That wouldn't be good.

Caroline closed the bathroom door partway. She slid out of her pajamas and into her tank top and capris. She looked at herself in the mirror. She sighed at herself when she saw small bags forming under her eyes. This hadn't been her first sleepless night. These dreams have continually been haunting her, leaving her exhausted the last few days. She threw her hair up in a quick messy pile on top of her head. She was too tired to worry about her appearance.

Her thoughts were still running ramped as she left the bathroom. She glanced over at Tyler to make sure that he was still sleeping. She tiptoed quietly out of the bedroom and out of the house. With the speed of a vampire, she ran most of the way to Klaus's castle of a house. She slowed her speed to a walk as she closed in on the mansion. Her heart began to race as she neared his property. She couldn't help but be a little excited to see him. This time though there was worry and concern in each stop as she neared the house. What if something did happen? What if her dream was going to come true? The thoughts made her feel sick and light-headed. Her feet strayed her off path and led her toward the Mikaelson's garden. There was a bench behind some hedges that her feet took her too. She sat down with a heavy sigh. It was unusual for her to feel so drained and tired. A vampire had unlimited energy and power; they didn't need to sleep to feel awake and alive. These feelings of exhaustion weren't normal.

"Isn't trespassing a little out of your league, Luv?" Klaus walked up behind the shrubs.

Caroline jumped up and faced him. Her breathing had greatly sped up. "You scared me! Don't you know it's wrong to sneak up on people?"

Klaus walked up to her. "It's not sneaking if the person is trespassing." He shrugged his shoulders as a smile crept across his face. "To what do I owe this pleasant surprise, Caroline?"

Caroline sat back down on the bench. "Can't a friend stop by once in a while?" Klaus sat down next to her on the bench, making it hard for her to control her racing heart.

"A friend yes, but you don't always desire to be my friend, Luv." He looked over at her and could see her exhaustion. He didn't like how weak it made her normally strong self look. "Now tell me, what's weighing on your mind, Caroline?"

"I've been dreaming about you… a lot in fact." Caroline slowly spit out. She knew that it'd be pointless not to tell him exactly what was on her mind. He hated lies and he wasn't always in a good mood for a guessing game.

Klaus grinned back at her. "Most men would find that incredibly attractive coming out of a beautiful woman's mouth. In fact, most men would love to hear a woman say that to them." A twinkle shimmered through in his eyes.

"Klaus! That's not what I meant!" Caroline's eyes were wide as she looked back at him. "I've been having nightmares about you." She kept her gaze steady on his.

"And so you've decided to face your nightmares and see that I'm not as bad as you had originally thought?" He sounded disappointed as he stood up rather quickly. He had put his guard up in preparation to defend himself from getting hurt.

Caroline stood up as well and positioned herself directly in front of him. "No Klaus, nightmares about you dying."


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back!:) I kind of played with the character's emotions a bit here. Do you think I should voice out more of Klaus and Tyler's opinions here or do you like how this is written? Just curious...**

Klaus had been taken back by Caroline's bold, quiet comment. It was the last thing that he had expected to hear that day.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know why I keep dreaming the same thing over and over again!" Caroline looked up into Klaus's eyes. "I'm tired Klaus. I'm so tired and I can't fall asleep without seeing you dying in front of me." She was freaking out as the realization of her dreams came back to her.

"Hey hey, Caroline calm down." Klaus put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm right here. I'm alive and I can't be killed."

"But in my dream…" Caroline tried to explain.

"But that's all it was, Love. Just a dream." He reassured her. His guard went down for her. He always melted when he was around her and he couldn't stop it. The little blonde would always have a place in his heart.

"Take your hands off of her!" An angry hybrid stealthily stalked over to the pair.

Caroline looked over just in time to see Tyler shove Klaus away from her. She was grateful for Klaus releasing his grip from her shoulders before Tyler shoved him. If he would have still been holding onto her there was no way she would've stayed upright.

Klaus's eyes lit up as his body started to change into the beast that he was known for. He quickly pulled his temper under control and, with that, his body as well. "Tyler…" He growled out the name in warning.

"Trying to take my girl, Klaus? Touch her again and I swear I'll make you pay!" Tyler yelled at Klaus in a low voice. The hybrid side of him was starting to show through. He was having a hard time keeping his temper down. Unlike Klaus, he had a harder time controlling his emotions and, at times, when he turned. All he could picture was Klaus's hands on Caroline. That image alone fueled his anger.

"Tyler!" Caroline snapped at him as her brain processed what was going on in front of her. "Stop! You don't understand!" She reached for his arm in an attempt to pull him back.

Tyler's reflexes kicked in. Without thinking he turned around and shoved Caroline away from him. Instantly he realized what he did and the hybrid side of him was quickly suppressed. It was too late though; the damage was already done.

Caroline had fallen hard to the ground. She could feel pain flash through her whole body. Klaus was down on the ground next to her in a blink of an eye. He slowly raised her up a bit. Caroline's body tensed and she let out a cry of pain. The force that Tyler had used was enough to crack a few of her ribs. She wasn't healing as quickly as normal and the pain was becoming worse. Her breathing was shallow and labored.

"Caroline?" Klaus waited for her to speak. He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.

"Care… Care, I'm sorry!" Tyler tried to apologize and stepped closer.

"Don't come near her, Tyler." Klaus warned him. The agitation in his eyes was not a match for Tyler – they held a look of protection and wariness. He wasn't a force to reckon with right now and Tyler knew it.

"She's my girlfriend, Klaus!" Tyler decided to push back a bit. He wanted to test Klaus a little bit further to see how serious he was.

"I believe that you're trespassing, Tyler. You need to leave." Klaus ignored Tyler's comment. He wasn't going to let him stay there. Not only was he a threat to him, but also to Caroline right at this point.

Tyler hesitated; he didn't want to leave Caroline behind. He was angry with himself for obviously hurting her, but was angrier that Klaus was taking his place next to her.

"Don't' make me have you removed from the property, Tyler." Klaus warned without looking at him.

"Please go, Ty." Caroline quietly sided with Klaus on the matter. She could feel her ribs start healing themselves, but the slowness of the healing process led them to ache more. She did everything in her power not to cry out in pain. She wanted to be stronger than that.

Tyler once again hesitated, but finally with a look of anger and defeat left the Mikaelson's property.

Caroline knew that he was fuming in anger. She knew that he'd probably yell at her later and then apologize for it. That thought alone made her cringe inside. Her thoughts jumped back to the nightmares that she had been having. When could she tell Klaus about them? Would he cut her off again before she had a chance to tell him? And why the heck wasn't she bouncing back as fast as she should? The questions began to swirl around in her mind, leaving her dizzy and even weaker than before.


	4. Chapter 4

**I was hoping to get this finished and posted on Saturday, but yeah that didn't happen. Hope you guys enjoy!:)**

Tyler made it back to the house that his mother had left to him in her will before she had passed away. Her death had been some more of Klaus's handiwork. He hated the man. Why shouldn't he? Not only is he trying to steal his girl, but he also was responsible for murdering his mother.

He kept his cool until walking through the doorway. Without restraint he slammed the door shut. He grabbed the nearest vase that he could find and threw it against the door – shattering it into a million different pieces. He backed up against the wall behind him and slid down to the ground. He streaked his fingers through his hair.

What he did to Caroline flashed through his mind. "Why'd I do that?" He whispered breathlessly. "Oh why'd I do that?"

He could hear footsteps coming into the room, but didn't look to see who it was. He just didn't care right at this point.

"Hey Ty, you okay?" Matt Donavon knelt down by the weakened Tyler. There was concern etched throughout his face. He was renting a room from Tyler in that house.

"I screwed up, Matt." He said miserably. "I really messed up this time."

Matt looked at the ground before fixing his blue eyes on Tyler. "There's no way that you messed up more than you fix. You're a good guy, Ty. You can fix whatever you did."

Tyler's eyes were glassy as he looked at Matt. "I hurt Caroline, Matt."

"You what?" Matt tried to keep his cool. "What do you mean you hurt her?"

"I… I saw her talking to Klaus and he…" Tyler's voice trailed off.

"He what, Tyler?" Matt had stood up and watched Tyler carefully. His protective nature was shining through as he weighed Tyler's every word out. Caroline and him had tried to have a relationship the previous year, but she was too much like a sister to him to make it work. With that being said, he was as protective as he could be over her.

"He had his hands on her shoulders and I just lost it, man." Tyler shook his head and looked down at the shattered glass all over the floor. "I pushed Klaus away from her and yelled at him. I could feel my body turning and you know I have a hard time controlling anything that happens after that, Matt."

"Keep talking." Matt urged him to go on.

"Caroline tried to stop me from going after Klaus and so I pushed her out of the way." Tyler couldn't look Matt in the eyes.

"You pushed her? Dude, not cool." Matt looked irritated. "What else did you do to her?"

"Nothing! I swear, man!" Tyler looked back up at Matt with certainty.

"Okay, okay. Well, how bad do you think that you hurt her? I mean she's a vampire after all. They heal pretty fast."

"I heard her ribs crack before she fell down." Tyler looked ashamed and worried. "She wasn't healing, Matt."

"What do you mean she wasn't healing, Tyler?" Worry lined Matt's forehead.

"I don't know, man. I'm worried about her. She stayed with Klaus." Tyler wasn't sure what to do. All he was sure about is how much he wanted to hurt Klaus.

"She's still with Klaus?" Matt asked for verification. Relief started to fill his face.

"Yes." Tyler answered and watched Matt carefully. "Why do you look alright with it? Out of anyone she should be with, Klaus is the least likely candidate."

"Out of anyone, Klaus is the safest candidate." Matt reached for a broom by the door and began sweeping up the broken glass. "He'll keep her safer than anyone."

Tyler looked down at the ground. In the back of his mind he knew that Matt was right. He hated the thought so much though. Everything that had happened made him feel like he needed to share Caroline. That was not something that he was about to do – not now, not ever.


	5. Chapter 5

**AHHHH! I've been sooo busy this last week you guys! I haven't had any time to update! I apologize about keeping you in the dark so long! Hope this was worth your wait ;)**

It took every ounce of strength that Klaus had to keep from losing his temper with Tyler. He held onto Caroline to keep himself from turning and going after his young, hybrid experiment. Tyler was just a pawn in his many life threatening games, but he hated that somehow he'd gotten Caroline in spite of Klaus's many attempts with win over her heart. He'd do anything for her, but with that being said it gave him the great disadvantage of not being able to kill Tyler. He wasn't a fan of not being able to eliminate the problem that frequently stood in his way, but he knew that he still needed him anyway. 

His body relaxed when Tyler grudgingly had left. He figured that he'd probably go off and pout. Slowly he laid Caroline back down on the ground. He could feel every muscle in her body tense as she moaned in pain. "Just relax, Love." 

"I can't… I hurt, Klaus." A tear slid down her face as she moaned in pain. 

Klaus placed his hand over part of her ribcage. Caroline cried out in pain. He was being as gentle as he could be. Her cries made his heart ache. He wanted so badly to take away her pain. He could feel her ribs healing, but at the slowest rate that he had ever felt in a vampire. This wasn't normal and he had no idea what was causing it. 

"Caroline, I'm going to look at it okay?" He asked for permission to take a glance under her shirt. 

Caroline nodded her head. "Fix it, just fix it, Klaus!" She cried in pain. The pain was becoming increasingly more painful. She wasn't sure how much longer she could remain conscious. 

As carefully as he could, Klaus rolled Caroline's shirt up to the bottom of her bra. There was massive bruising already forming on her lower ribs. Even in a human those bruises don't appear that quickly. It was as though her vampirism was working against her. It had sped up the damage done, but slowed down the healing. 

"We're going to try something, Love." He told her as he pulled her shirt back down and raised her body up again. 

Caroline could feel the pressure of being crunched up when Klaus had carefully raised her up a bit. She was having a hard time breathing, but trusted him. 

Klaus allowed himself to turn enough to bite his wrist. Gently he put it up to her mouth. "Let's heal you up, Love." 

Caroline started to drink the hybrid's blood and could feel her body healing like it should be. "It's working." She pulled away for a second to reassure him then drank some more. She hadn't had much more before she pulled away. An overwhelmingly sick feeling welled up inside of her. The blood began coming back up her throat and choking her. She pulled away from Klaus and bent over as a fit of coughing erupted from deep within her. 

"I…can't…breath…" She choked out. She spit as much blood out as possible. Her aches and pains were healed, but an overwhelming weakness began overtaking her, as breathing grew very limited. 

"Caroline?" Klaus was on his knees right next to her. Worry creased his forehead. Did he just make her worse? He didn't know what he'd do if something happened to her. 

With speedy reflexes, he repositioned himself in front of her. "Come on, Caroline. Take deep breaths. Come on, you can do this, Love." He encouraged her. His eyes darted back and forth from one of her eyes to the next. 

Caroline tried every thing in her power to take control of the situation. She slowed down and steadied her breathing. That alone greatly helped her coughing to dissipate. By the time she had quit choking, most of the blood that she had taken in was no longer in her system. Slowly, she looked up at Klaus and tried to stand up. 

He could see the exhaustion from all the coughing in her eyes. With every labored breath and attempt to stand up, he could feel her weakening, yet the stubbornness shined through. He admired her strength and determination so much more than he knew that she could ever imagine. 

Caroline fought falling down with every ounce of strength that she could muster. She made it to her feet in spite of her body threatening to topple over.

"Caroline, are you okay?" He walked up behind her. Concern deeply filled his voice. 

She turned around and weakly smiled at him. "I'm fi-." As she started to speak, blackness filled her world as Caroline began to fall into a deep pit of nothingness. Her body began to topple down to the ground and there was nothing that she could do to bring herself back to the light of day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here ya go; I kind of left you guys on a cliff-hanger. It took me awhile to decide what turn I wanted to put next and although I'm not completely sure where I want to go with this story, I didn't think this turned out to bad. Let me know what ya think!**

Klaus had been just in time to catch Caroline as her legs had begun to give way from underneath her. He gently carried her back to the mansion that he called home. His brother, Elijah, opened the door up for him.

"What happened, Niklaus?" He asked genuinely concerned. His voice reflected a little judginess as well, as if he assumed that Klaus was responsible for the girl's injuries.

"Contrary to your negative doubt, brother, this is not a product of my misdeeds." Klaus looked hurt by his brother's slight judging of him, but his expression quickly turned back to concern for Caroline. "She's not healing, Elijah. I've never seen this before. In my hundreds of years of living, this is new."

Elijah searched Klaus's eyes for honesty. "You're telling me the truth, aren't you, brother." He commented, suddenly more concerned for the life in his brother's arms.

"I have never lied to you, Elijah. This is not a time for a brother-to-brother discussion. Now move! Unless you plan on helping me save her life." Klaus pushed passed his brother and began up the stairs to the second floor.

Elijah quickly realized how wrong he was being. "I'm sorry, brother. How can I help? He followed after him, taking two steps at a time to catch up.

"Find Rebekah; we need her." Klaus quickly said. Of anybody he knew and trusted, his sister hit number one on that list. She had been a nurse for a number of decades and knew both human and vampire illnesses. He knew that she was Caroline's best – and quite possibly only – hope.

Elijah began to turn around and started back down the steps. He knew that his sister was around somewhere in the house, but he wasn't quite sure where. "Rebekah!" He yelled out her name.

Klaus looked down at Caroline as he made it to the top of the staircase. She was deathly pale. Although this wasn't always an abnormal thing for Vamps, it was highly unnatural for Caroline. A panic was welling up inside him. "Hurry up Elijah!" He yelled to him.

Within a few seconds, Klaus turned into a bedroom. He laid Caroline down on the bed and quickly turned on a light. He came back to the bed and sat down next to her. "Come on, Caroline. Open up your eyes, Love." He quietly pleaded with her. He gently brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.

"I got her, Niklaus." Elijah came into the room with a not so quick Rebekah.

"What did you two drag home now?" Rebekah walked in with an I-really-don't-care expression. "It had better be good; I was just on my way out for a walk." She whined with her heavier than normal British accent.

"Rebekah, can you please put your selfish ambitions aside for a moment? Please?" Elijah sternly addressed his sister. He was beginning to grasp the severity of the situation and needed to bring his sister in line.

Rebekah was a little taken back by Elijah's boldness, but decided to submit underneath him anyway. She walked over to the bed and looked down at Caroline. "Tell me what happened to her, Nik." She said quietly as she felt Caroline's head and checked for a pulse.

"I've never seen anything like it, Rebekah." Klaus began as he moved away from Caroline to give his sister some space. "She wasn't healing like she should be. I gave her some of my blood, but she just kept choking on it. It was as though her body was turning against her."

"Did your blood heal her, Nik?" She asked her brother.

"It worked until she simply couldn't keep it down. After that she couldn't breath." He quickly informed her.

Rebekah stood up suddenly. Alarm filled her wide eyes. "Back up Elijah." Fear laced her voice. "Don't go near her!" She commanded him before looking over at Klaus. She blinked back tears. "Or him." She hurried out of the room and to the bathroom. Frantically she scrubbed her hands as tears dripped down her face. A flood of memories filled her mind along with the pain of what she knew was now upon them.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sooo sorry guys that I haven't been able to update this sooner! I've been having some rough things happen lately and it's led to not having time to write nor feeling very inspirational. I hope that this was worth the wait! Enjoy ;)**

Elijah watched Klaus for a moment as he tried to grasp his sister's sudden departure. He wasn't sure what to think, but could definitely depict his brother's bewilderment.

"Elijah…" Klaus's voice trailed off.

"Stay here, Niklaus." He told him and left the room. He found Rebekah still in the bathroom staring at the sink. He waited for her to gather herself and look at him. "What is it, Rebekah?"

She looked her brother directly in the eyes. "It's a virus, Elijah. I've seen it before." Her gaze fell to the ground.

Elijah watched his sister closely. He walked close to her and raised her chin up with his hand. "What kind of virus, Rebekah?"

Tears slowly slid down her face. "The kind that can kill Vampires, Elijah."

Elijah dropped his hand. His gaze fell to the ground. He felt movement behind him and turned to see Klaus not to very far from them.

Klaus's face was paler than usual. "What are you saying, Rebekah? Is she going to die?" His expression was solid and serious.

Elijah could see worry filling his brother's face. It was not an emotion that he could say that he saw often. Worry, fear, and sadness never were upon Klaus's face. Joy was rarely seen either. Klaus was always serious and down to business. It was the way that he protected himself.

"Not only her, Nik." Rebekah watched her brother, realizing that there was possibly not much time left with him.

Elijah looked from one sibling to the other. "Rebekah, you need to tell us everything that you know." He said calmly, which masked the panic welling up in him.

"There's so much to say about it, Elijah. I don't know where to begin." She tried to recall everything about the vicious illness.

"If there is a cure to be found for this we need to know everything NOW, Rebekah!" Klaus's voice reflected his agitation. He wasn't going to allow himself to get this virus, but if he already had it then he sure as hell wasn't going down without a fight. He had more to think about than just himself this time.

Rebekah dropped her gaze then pulled it back up to look at Klaus. She gathered her thoughts together before she spoke.

"The last time I saw this was back in 1869. Vampires were trying to blend in and live a non-threatening life. In many ways it was working, yet there were humans that were destined to find and kill us."

"I know that Rebekah! Get to the point!" Klaus growled. He didn't have time to waste.

"Calm down, Nik!" She snapped at him. A glare radiated from her eyes.

"That woman in the other room is dying. Yes, she views me as a monster, but I'm in love with her regardless of that." His eyes radiated his determination and power. "If she doesn't live, I will make the world pay! There will be a bloodbath, Rebekah! One that no human has ever seen before."

"But there isn't a cure, Nik! Don't you understand? There isn't a cure!" Rebekah cried out to him. The pain in her answer radiated in her voice.

"Well you find one, lil sister!" Klaus's nostrils flared out. Anger and desperation filled his voice. He had pointed his index finger at Rebekah as he spoken. He stalked away from his siblings with no more words left to say.

Elijah could feel his brother's pain. He watched him walk away from them, knowing that now wasn't the time to follow after him. He turned his attention back to Rebekah. "Please continue."

Rebekah wiped away the tears on her already damp face. She nodded her head. "That was the year that you were chasing after Katerina and trying to keep her safe. Nik had gone back home to England. He wanted to either be away from us or wanted to be rid of us."

"I remember that year. You were in Canada with someone while you were interning at the hospital. You were fresh out of nursing school. That was quite some time ago." Elijah caught himself reminiscing about their past.

Rebekah pinched her eyes shut at the memory. "David. I was interning with David." Her mind wondered back to the time. Her heart ached at the memories. "I was so in love with that man. He meant the world to me…" Her voice trailed off, but the pain was evident.

"What happened to him?" Elijah's voice was filled with compassion.

Her eyes opened up slowly as tears dripped slowly down her face. "He was one of the hundreds of Vampires that didn't survive the viral attack against us. He died a very slow, very painful death. They didn't even give a proper burial, Elijah. He was burned alive when they found him." Her body was shaking at this point as the memory nearly overtook her present.

Elijah pulled his sister into a hug. They had all lost people they loved. It never got any easier, but he knew how much more Rebekah felt loss. His heart ached for her.

"The last memories I have of him alive was his suffering before the humans found him. And his screaming…" She cried into Elijah's shoulder. "I remember him screaming in agony as the fire consumed his body. They kept him alive for it! Why Elijah? Why couldn't they kill him first?" She painfully asked him.

"I don't know, Rebekah." He rubbed the back of her head. "I wish that I had an answer for you. I wish that I could take away all of your pain."

She pulled away from her brother. "He was weak like a human, but there were still traces of Vampire in him. He could feel everything done to him – worse than if he would have been all human." She rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes. "Elijah, I don't know how to cure Caroline. I don't know how long it'll be before Nik starts feeling the symptoms. He'll progressively get weaker. Assuming the transition doesn't kill either of them, they'll temporarily be human. It makes them easy marks for any of their enemies. That's just one way that it can spread. It can spread through humans carrying it, as well as through any source of provision – whether it be through water or a food source. Assuming they survive not being killed as humans, their bodies will try to turn back into Vampires. It's an extremely painful process that usually kills off the rest of its victims." Rebekah shuddered as she looked into Elijah's blank, dark brown eyes. She could see panic start in his unusually calm demeanor.

"How will it affect our brother?" He stumbled over his words. His mind was going in a million different directions, but with a lot of will-power he focused on Klaus and his hybrid nature. All he heard was how the virus affected Vampires, but what did it do to Werewolves and Hybrids?

Rebekah's chin quivered as she spoke. "I don't know, Elijah. I'm scared." Her big blue eyes were wide as she watched Elijah closely. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to stop it. I don't know how to save them."

Listening to Rebekah reminded Elijah of how unguarded she could truly be. It was the raw, real, little sister he grew up knowing. She was reminding him of how open and trusting she used to be. She had been so betrayed by their family; to the point that the true Rebekah rarely came out anymore. They all were so scarred by people close to them betraying them. It wasn't fair, but it was the cold, hard life they were forced into living.

It was hard to keep his voice from cracking, but he tried to steady it as he spoke. "How did the virus start? There must be a source!"

"There is." Rebekah said slowly. "It was started by humans. My best guess is a scientist."

"Who though?" Elijah pried; he wanted an answer. Their brother's life depended on it.

"We tracked down many different leads and talked to many different humans and Vampires alike, but we couldn't find the source. Nearly every Vampire in over a hundred-mile radius died within a year because of how fast it spread. Elijah, it could be happening all over again." Fear and panic came with each world Rebekah spoke.


	8. Chapter 8

**"It's really nice to see the reviews you guys have all left and I'm glad that you're all enjoying this story! I went a little longer in this chunk! Enjoy!**

Anger was one of Klaus's worst enemies; it was also a great attribute that fueled his will to get things done. The wheels in his mind twisted and turned. He kept his anger in check, but it was getting harder to control. After hearing Rebekah's less than positive answer, he wasn't sure what to do. If what she says is true, he may not have much time left. He quickly pushed that thought to the side and went back by Caroline.

Creases lined his forehead as he gently pushed a strand of blonde hair out of Caroline's face. "I'll love you for eternity Caroline Forbes. That'll never change. I will protect you." He kissed her forehead before leaving the room. He hurried down the stairs and out of the mansion. It was time to visit the last being that she had been with. He was going to get down to the bottom of this! …Or die trying.

**AT THE MIKAELSON MANSION:**

Rebekah could see Elijah's realization of the severity of the situation. Her head pounded from the hurt that came with the memories of David, as well as from the worry that she now had for her family. "I'm going to check on our guest." She spoke quietly, brushing past Elijah.

"Rebekah…" He began to say, still clearly trying to take in and process all of this newly discovered information.

"Yes?" She paused at the doorway.

"If any of us leave…" He couldn't find the words to finish his sentence.

Rebekah couldn't look him in the eyes, but finished his though. "If any of us leave, then this could become another very large epidemic." She left Elijah standing alone in his thoughts. Her heart sank with each passing step back to Caroline. She could hear her labored breathing through the wall. She walked over to her and sat down on the bed.

At this point, she knew that she had already been infected with the virus where there was no good reason in staying away from Caroline. She was still going to be clean and sterile about everything, but someone had to take care of the girl. Carefully she laid her hand over Caroline's forehead. It was hot to the touch. Rebekah could hear the girl's heart rate increasing. She gently pushed her eyelid open. Her pupils were darting around frantically. She could feel Caroline's body begin trembling.

"Nik!" Rebekah screamed for her brother. There was no answer. It didn't take much time for Rebekah to realize that he had left the house. She couldn't worry about him now though – there simply was no time.

"Elijah!" She screamed out for her other brother. There was some relief when he showed up in the doorway within seconds. "Help me hold her don." She said frantically as Caroline's body began jerking around in fits common with seizures.

Elijah was quick to get on the other side of the bed. With all of the vampire strength he could muster, he held down the girl as Rebekah tried to do the same.

"What is going on, Rebekah?" He asked her quickly. "Is this a normal symptom?"

"She's seizing, Elijah." She kept her focus on Caroline. She was worried about her biting her tongue or choking on her own saliva. "Everybody reacts differently. This is not a normal reaction though."

"Where's Niklaus? How long with this last?" He mixed his thoughts and questions around, unsure which was of higher importance.

"Seizures usually only last a few minutes." She could feel the jolts echoing through Caroline's body slowing down. She pulled her focus up to Elijah. "I don't know where Nik is. I think he left the house, Elijah." Worry lined her eyes.

"Why and where would he go though?" He tried to organize his thoughts as he lightened up on his grip on Caroline.

"If he heard anything that we said then I fear that he went to…"

Elijah cut into Rebekah's words as the realization his him. "Tyler's."

**AT THE LOCKWOOD MANSION:**

"Tyler, get your lazy, good for nothing, Hybrid bum out here!" Klaus yelled at the Lockwood Mansion. He remained half of a football field away from the front door and paced back and forth like a caged lion. "I'm not in a mood to wait for you."

Tyler could hear Klaus pacing back and forth. "What gives him the right to grace me with his royal presence?" The venom rolled off of his tongue as he marched over to the front door.

"Do you think that it's a good idea to go out there, Ty?" Matt asked his partial friend.

"Stay out of this, Donovan." Tyler's eyes were turning golden as he glared at Matt.

"Tyler, you need to calm down." Matt warned him. "He could kill you!"

"Let him try." Tyler dared as he continued outside.

Every ounce of Klaus wanted to rip Tyler's heart out. He had no mercy for the young hybrid. If he was responsible for infecting Caroline, he was going to make him pay and nothing would stop him.

"Get the hell off of my property, Klaus!" Tyler angrily yelled at him. He stopped half way between Klaus and his house. His eyes were clearly trying to threaten the older, more mature hybrid – which was debatable by some.

Klaus stood his ground and faced Tyler. "I'm only going to ask you once. Did you get her sick?" The fury lit up his eyes as well. He tried to remain patient and peaceable.

"Did I get who sick?" Tyler was taken back by the question, but he didn't back his imposing stance down.

"Does she mean that little t you that you don't even know who I am speaking of?" Klaus's anger boiled. _Unbelievable!_ Without thinking, he ran at Tyler. His body smashed into the young hybrid as he brought him down to the ground. He was older and stronger, but Tyler was smaller and faster.

"I don't know who you're talking about, man!" Tyler yelled back at him. He was eager to fight Klaus, but he also wanted to know what was going on. He pushed Klaus off of him and jumped up, ready to throw a few punches.

Before Tyler had a chance to throw any punches, Klaus grabbed him by his shoulder and held him away from him. He reached his hand through his warm, thick flesh. His claws were just a few centimeters away from Ty's heart. "She should be the first name to pop into you head!" Klaus angrily growled at Tyler.

"Caroline?" Tyler's eyes were wide. He could feel the painful pressure near his heart. A jolt of worry coursed through him. "What's the matter with her? I know I was a dick, but that's nothing new. I lost control of my temper. But she's a vampire; she heals fast! I would never intentionally hurt her, Klaus. You know that!"

Klaus watched him carefully. He felt and listened to his heartbeat. He knew he wasn't lying. Man, he wanted to kill him so badly though! Slowly he pulled back his hand and released Tyler.

"Niklaus, there is no way that he started this." Elijah walked up to the pair. He had left in search of his brother nearly immediately after Caroline's rough episode. He wasn't going to let his brother's impatience and brutality spread this virus.

"Started what?" Tyler's curiosity was peaked. "Hey, what's going on?" He watched the two brothers, intently waiting for the blunt, honest truth.

Klaus watched Tyler for a moment before throwing a hard, quick punch in his nose. Tyler stumbled backward, but quickly had his fists up to fight.

"Niklaus!" Elijah yelled at his brother, but stayed in his spot.

"That was for Caroline." He said quickly. "Never lay a hand on her to hurt her again!" He jabbed his finger into Tyler's chest. "Next time you hurt her, you will die." He said clearly so there would be no mistake.

Tyler glared at him. "Are you done?"

Klaus backed away a few feet from Tyler. His eyes were still angry and ready to fight, but he gave the floor over to Elijah with a light nod of his head.

Elijah eyed up the body language of the two before he began his brief explanation. "What Miss Forbes has is a virus."

"You mean like a cold?" Tyler interrupted for a better understanding.

"A potentially lethal cold." Elijah verified. His voice held onto the seriousness of the situation. "It has the complex ability to turn you back into a human. If that change is survived, your body fights to turn back into the creature that you once were. It is unclear as to what it does to hybrids and werewolves, however."

"How can we get it?" Tyler quickly asked. There was no way he was going to let himself get infected.

"It had to have been started by a human. Rebekah assumes a scientist or medical doctor with experience in biochemistry and a degree of viral analysis most likely started it. It is easily spread and can infect a supernatural being quickly. If not stopped, it will lead to an epidemic." Elijah was still in shock at what his sister had told him, but he needed to make both his brother and Tyler aware of the truth.

Tyler digested the information. He wasn't going to get the virus and he'd stop it at all costs. The answer became clear to him. "Then we have to kill Caroline and stop it."


	9. Chapter 9

**This is a little shorter than my last few submissions, but hopefully it's up to par!**

Klaus's nostrils flared out. He couldn't believe his ears. The man didn't even deserve to look in Caroline's direction. He could feel Elijah's eyes on him.

"Let it go, brother." Elijah said peaceably, but he could understand Klaus's wrath. He'd feel the same way if that suggestion was brought up for someone he loved, but for the sake of everything at stake there needed to be peace.

"It's the only thing that makes sense. Yeah, Care's a great girl, but if this is a contagious virus then it needs to be stopped immediately. It'd be reckless to keep it going on and spreading." Tyler continued talking. Klaus's expression kind of freaked him out. He redirected his focus on Elijah with his best attempt at sad, desperate, reasonable eyes. "Elijah?"

Elijah kept his expression serious and solemn. He weighed out each of Tyler's words. He understood where he was coming from and what he was trying to say, but it really did irritate him.

"Elijah, you know I'm right. You know I make sense. It's what needs to happen." Tyler tried to get someone on his side. He wanted the support. He wasn't about to get a deadly virus. He liked Caroline a lot, but he wasn't about to die with her. It just didn't make sense to him for there to be more than one loss.

Klaus's eyes turned golden and a deadly look crossed his face. Drops of sweat slid down his face and he could feel dampness in his hair. He began to run at Tyler – whom had distanced himself just in case. Before he could make it to the treacherous, young hybrid, several shots echoed through the air. Riveting pain shot through his legs as he dropped to his knees. He grunted in pain and looked up.

Matt stood by the front door holding a rifle. He had shot out Klaus's knees with wooden bullets drenched in wolfsbane and vervaine. "I'm sorry Klaus, but I can't let you kill my friend." His blue eyes were apologetic as he lowered the gun.

"You have a poor choice in friends, boy." Klaus groaned, hundreds of splinters of wood filled his kneecaps filling them with excruciating pain. He let his body push the wood and toxins out of his flesh, but it was becoming an increasingly slow process.

Elijah came over to help his brother up. He knew that it was time for them to go home. He also knew that depending on how determined Tyler was to resolve the situation, they may have a small war breaking out to protect Caroline and themselves.

"If you are determined to stop the virus then you will need to kill yourself as well." Klaus stated to Tyler as he allowed Elijah to help him limp painfully away.

"And how's that?" Tyler slowly asked his nemesis.

Klaus didn't turn around. "Because I just gave it to you." He smugly replied as they left the Lockwood property.


End file.
